Reunited: Dragoons Come Home

By Al UnderwoodMay 7, 2014

Hanover 102
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dismounted A Co 2d U.S. reenactors load and fire their replica Civil War carbines during the 150th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Hanover (PA). From the left are Corporal Keith "Ace" Moreau, Trooper Ashley Sorge, Sgt. Barry Kruise, Trooper... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
School
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Reenactors from A Co 2d U.S. demonstrate a Civil War saber charge for school children during a reenactment of Dahlgren's Raid. In the front rank from the left are Captain Mark Sopko, Sgt. Barry Kruise, Trooper Kevin Dalton, Trooper Dillon Sciranko, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Kabul, Afghanistan - The pounding of galloping horses and the thunderous growl of Stryker fighting vehicles may be generations apart but they both carry the troops, history and traditions of the oldest active serving cavalry regiment in the U.S. Army, the Second Cavalry Regiment.

Today the ?"2 CR" serve as Combined Task Force Dragoon in southern Afghanistan assisting the Afghan security forces in fighting insurgents and terrorists. Since 1836, the term ?"dragoon" describes these troops. The unit was originally established a ?"dragoon" regiment, which was a branch in the military just like artillery and infantry. The dragoon was a specialized soldier trained in light infantry tactics as well as mounted cavalry tactics. They could use their horses for infantry mobility, or remain mounted for shock effect or speed in pursuit -- exactly what the unit specializes in today.

With one of the richest and most prestigious histories in the U.S. Army, the 2CR continues a great tradition of service to the nation. Today their mission reads: CTF Dragoon follows and supports Afghan National Security Forces as they conduct Wide Area Security in order to neutralize threats to stabilize and legitimize the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan governance. On order, conduct tactical infrastructure transition and retrograde operation. Sadly the 2CR has lost two troopers recently during combat operations, Chief Warrant Officer Edward Balli and Staff Sgt. Jesse Lee Williams. The ranks of the 2 CR include eighteen dragoons that have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

To honor the lives, service and sacrifices of these fallen troops and many others, from the swamps of Florida in 1836 to the deserts of Kandahar today, a group of volunteers, many of them veterans, accurately portray A Company, Second U.S. Cavalry, now A Troop, 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry, in one of the premier reenactment organizations in the United States. Established to portray the Regiment in one of the most significant periods in American history, A Co 2d U.S. Cavalry serves as an educational and living history organization.

The recreated unit educates students and the public in general about the 2d Cavalry?'s service during the Civil War. For the past twenty years, thousands of people have gained an enhanced understanding of American history through their efforts and come ?"up close and personal" with the history of the 2d Cavalry. Routinely, at school presentations or national battlefields, most Americans are surprised to learn that same heroic unit portrayed on horseback is still on active duty, still serving today in Afghanistan as ?"dragoons".

Every trooper of the recreated unit invests thousands of dollars to procure the exact equipment used by the 2d Cavalry, learn the unit history and of course learn to ride safely using a saber, pistol and carbine in an effort to honor the dragoons of the past. Membership in the 2d Cavalry requires a tremendous personal sacrifice of time and resources but the recreated unit never has to face real enemy bullets or extended deployments that the real troopers encounter in Afghanistan.

Thanks to an invitation from Maj. Patrick Miller, the 2 CR Intelligence Officer, Feb. 5 2014, Al Underwood, a member of the recreated A Co 2d U.S. Cavalry linked up with the active duty 2d Cavalry at the Regimental Headquarters, Forward, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Underwood was there conducting his duties as the senior intelligence analyst from the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC).

The NGIC is the Army?'s intelligence and analysis Center proving a wide variety of support to Army units around the world. Underwood presented two Robert London photographs of the recreated unit in action to Col. Douglas A. Sims and Command Sgt. Maj. Wilbert E. Engram on behalf of all the troopers of the recreated unit. In turn, the Regiment held a ceremony and inducted Underwood, on behalf of all the troopers of the recreated unit, as a member of the ?"honorary squadron" for their work in educating the public about the 2d Cavalry and its celebrated history. Before the ceremony, Underwood agreed with Sims and Engram that it was indeed unique but very appropriate that their roles as current Commander and CSM brought them both from infantry backgrounds to lead a ?"dragoon" cavalry unit. Just as in 1836, when the 2d Cavalry was established as ?"dragoons", rugged infantry soldiers with increased mobility -- infantry mobility was provided by horses, in 2014 it is provided by Styker cavalry fighting vehicles. Col. Sims put the recreated unit in contact with the unit historian and new state-of-the-art 2d Cavalry museum recently opened at the Regimental Headquarters in Vilseck, Germany. Concurrently, on behalf of the recreated unit, Underwood offered an opportunity to Col. Sims to have some of his troopers mount up on horses and wear the weapons and equipment of their predecessors and participate in some of the major reenactments commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

It was a great event uniting the two organizations - volunteer ?"dragoons" replicating the past with the actual ?"dragoons" serving on active duty on the other side of the planet from the battlefields of the Civil War. The colorful and legendary story of the ?"Second Dragoons" will continue through the pounding hooves, carbine fire and dust of Civil War battlefields just as in the growling engines, automatic rifle fire and more dust of dragoons serving in Afghanistan.

The 2d Cavalry maintains a great webpage at http://www.army.mil/2cr and A Company Second Cavalry also maintains a great webpage at http://www.secondcavalry.org/. The dragoons from both eras will continue their mutual support to keep the unique legacy of the longest serving Cavalry Regiment in the U.S. Army alive and fresh in the hearts and minds of the American people.

The 2CR motto, still rings true for the American people -- ?"Toujours Pret" -- ?"Always Ready".

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